Bottle cap



F J MMDONALD l,783,909

BOTTLE CAP Dec. 2, 1930.

Filed Dec. 21, 1927 INVENTOR fkfl/VK Mafia/mm.

A TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE j remix 3'. MACDONALD, or ELLET, omo, ASSIGNOB. or one-BALI 'ro .rorm 3. our- METER, or AKRON, 0310 BOTTLE CAP Application filed December 21, 1927. Serial No. 241,561.

This invention relates to caps or closures for bottles or other containers and has particular reference to an outer cap or covering for milk bottles.

An object of the invention is to devise an improved closure for the purposes set forth, and one which can be cheaply manufactured and easily and inexpensively applied to bottles or other containers for protecting the mouthsthereof against contamination during handling or against exposure to dirt and germs while outside of the house. A further object is to devise a cap which is easily removable by the housewife and re-usable to be effectively secured again to the top of the bottle to protect the same until its contents are entirely used. This cap construction accordingly is effective to protect the contents of the bottles from odors of other foods. in ice boxes or refrigerators. Another object is to provide a cap which is yieldable to maintain its protective functions even though the contents of the bottle freeze and expand out of the bottle neck.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the cap illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. It

is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms thereof disclosed herein.

Of the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section, of a cap embodying the principles of the invention, the cap being applied to a milk bottle; 1

Figure 2 is an elevation illustrating the position of the cap while being placed on the bottle;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; I

Figure 4 is. a plan view of a blank from which the cap is formed; and

Figure 5 is an elevation illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 denotes the usual milk bottle and 11 the usual stopper therefor. The improved cap is preferably constructed of thin cardboard or heavy paper and comprises a plane, circular heador top portion 12 and a downwardly turned skirtportion 13 plaited to form outstanding folds 14 so that the skirt portion may snugly fit the bottle neck and engage beneath the shoulder formed by the enlar ed rim 15 of the bottle. At the portion 0 the cap adjacent the junction of rim 13 and the neck of the bottle, each fold 14 is slit as at 16 and a yieldable, elastic band 17 is placed in the slits to hold the skirt portion of the cap under tension against the neck of the bottle. A rubber band serves very elfectivelyfor this urpose, but other materials may be used if esired. The blank from which the cap is constructed is clrcular in form as illustratedin Figure 4 which figure also shows the slits 16 and the lines of the folds.

The cap is easily applied by forcing the same against the rim of the bottle, preferably securing effect is just as eflicient after reapplication as it was initially. When removed from the bottle the sides of the folds abut under the action of the rubber band to maintain the shape of the cap. In case an ori inal sealing of the cap on the bottle is desired, paraflin. or other adhesives may be applied to the interior of the cap. I

The flexibility of the band 17 possesses an additional function of permitting the cap to be raised with respect to the top of the bottle, thus preventing distortion, puncturing, or loss of the cap which would occur with rigidly secured caps when the contents of the bottle expand due to freezing. The tendency of milk to expand and squeeze out of the top of the bottle when exposed to outside winter tem eratures, is well-known. The raising of of t e cap will accommodate the projecting portion of the frozen milk and protect such portion from contamination, as well as cover the upper part of the neck and rim of the bottle. For permitting this expansion to a greater degree, the cap may be modified as shown inFigure 5 to provide an elongated 5 skirt portion 13, gripping about the neck of the bottle at a point somewhat lower than rim 15. This type of ca is freel slidable until the portion grippe by the and contacts with the rim and thus may be used in cold weather where there is a probability that the milk will freeze and rise to a considerable height above the top of the bottle.

It will appear from the foregoing that a highly advantageous protective cap has been 15 devised for milk bottles and the like. Modifications of the structures herein disclosed may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Vi hatis claimed is:

1. A protective cap for milk bottles or the like, comprising a circular head portion, a downwardly turned skirt portion adapted to extend down the neck of the bottle, and a yieldable, elastic band surrounding said skirt portion to hold the latter against the neck of the bottle under yieldable tension, said skirt portion being provided with outstanding reinforcing ribs limiting contraction of the skirt portion.

2. A rotective covering for milk bottles or the like, comprising a cap having downwardly extending side portions, said portions being folded to form plaits permitting radial 3s expansions and limited radial contraction of the sides of the cap, each of said plaitsbeing formed with a slit, and a yieldable, elastic band positioned in said slits to contract the sides of the cap about the bottle.

40 3 A protective covering for milk bottles or the like, comprising a cap having downwardly extending, contra ctible side portions, said portions being folded to form plates adapted to limit contraction of the side portions, said plaits being formed with a slit, and a gisldable, elastic band positioned in said slits to contract the sides of the cap about the bottle.

4. A protective covering for milk bottles or the like, comprising a cup-shaped cap,

means for yieldably contracting the sides of the cap about the neck of a bottle, means at a plurality of points for permanently main taining said contracting means about the sides I of the cap, and means on the side portions for limiting the contraction thereof.

5. A rotective covering for milk bottles or the lilie, comprising a cup-shaped cap, the sides of the cap being laited to provide folds,

so and an elastic band a out the folds, the sides of the folds being adapted to abut to limit contraction of the sides of the cap by the band wizvreh the cap will maintain its shape when off the ottle.

FRAN K J. MACDONALD. 

